The first is when smokers, in the company of non-smoking friends ‘light up’ which means their friends are forced to inhale tobacco smoke. Second-hand smoke is dangerous and there is no safe level of exposure I understand some people can’t live without their cancer sticks and that’s entirely their choice – it’s not ours. Please, either step away from the group or at least have the courtesy to ask if it’s okay. Please don’t assume. There may be someone in the group with respiratory issues so inhaling smoke could cause a serious problem.

The second peeve is for smokers who ‘light up’ while people are eating. This is particularly annoying with outside restaurant areas and the smoke drifts across your food and contaminates the air. Please be considerate of other diners.

The third peeve…when you light up, smoke the cigarette please don’t pose by holding it over your shoulder or down by your side. Someone could walk by and catch their clothing on the cigarette. This once happened to me and burnt a hole in my new coat. Or worse, a child or dog could be injured.

Then there is the smell of stale smoke on clothes. Non-smokers don’t want to smell like stale ashtrays

Finally, the beach and other open spaces are not an ashtray for your discarded cigarette ends, especially if they are still alight. Flicking cigarettes from an open window of your car onto the countryside is potentially a wildfire hazard. Please don’t.

Post navigation

23 thoughts on “Pet Peeve: Cigarette Smoke”

I’m totally with you on all counts, PIP. When visiting family who smoke, it’s a bit difficult to ask them not to smoke in their own home. I’m very sensitive to any form of air pollution, especially cigarette smoke. I also hate going home with stinky clothes and hair after an evening with smokers. 😳

Thanks, Julian. Appreciate your support. I was a little apprehensive about posting this as so many people are easily offended. One smoker in a room or open-air restaurant can inflict so much discomfort on others.

Totally agree. I also hate how the smokers crowd around the entrance to any building. As a former trade union health & safety rep, I know that the UK regulations state that smokers should be a minimum of 9 metres (10 feet) away from any entrance or open window. Where I used to work, that placed them in the middle of the road.

Also Vaping – while it may smell nicer, who knows what damage that could be doing – to the vape-er and their friends.

I don’t know how much a packet of cigarettes is these days, but I bet you can buy at least one new plant for the same price

Yes! Yes! Yes! And yes again!!
I actually don’t like eating outside because of all the cigarette smoke. It’s so off-putting. Both my daughter and I have asthma. She feels the effects of smoke just walking past a smoker in the street. I’m really shocked at the amount of smokers here in Germany.

Many years ago, I ran a small nursery. We noticed a massive difference there with kids whose parents smoked in the home. When the kids caught colds: The smokers kids basically always had really heavy colds, with thick green or yellow mucus while the kids from non-smoking households had much clearer deposits in their tissues, and their colds didn’t last any where near as long. It was a result we encountered continuously so it wasn’t a coincidence.

I can’t stand smokers cluttering up the entrances to hospitals. Patients and staff alike.

That’s awful, Sarsm. How can any parent subject their child to secondary smoking when the dangers have been so well publicised?

As for eating outside, I can’t believe the number of smokers who can see people are eating and still light up…. and then to make it worse they just pose with the cigarette. as the smoke wafts across other people.

Smoking is illegal in public places here. It has been for many years. My only pet peeve with those who smoke is that some lack respect for others; in the sense that I do not mind the smoke, but I am bothered that some would not care if I did, and have no problem bothering others with it.
My real pet peeve is marijuana! Most who smoke tobacco will go outside and some distance to avoid offending others. Those who smoke marijuana assume that everyone smokes it, and actually enjoys the smoke. Although I have no problem with tobacco smoke, I am totally grossed out my the foul aroma of marijuana, and I am very offended by the lack of respect for my dislike of it. Yet, those who use it get SO defensive about it if I ask them to take it elsewhere. Yes, the peace loving pot heads get MEAN when one gets between them and their marijuana! They believe that they are exempt from the laws that were designed for those who smoke tobacco. I really like to believe that we all have the right to choose to smoke whatever we want to if we want to, but I really would not mind if marijuana were illegal again!

Well, the friends can go some were else. I´m a heavy smoker, my father was too and this guy lasted until his 80´s, I actually have a phylosophical theory that smoking increments your life expectancy. I´ll post it one day this theory I wrote when I was in college. It was not popular, why?!!!!!

I live in apartment with two good looking south american, they don´t like the smell of my beautifll cigrarettes… weird you women.
And I also drive them nuts……not my fault, if they wan´t to go crazy it´s on them. I love my cigaretes, smell, hummmmm